


'Till Death Do Us Part

by Vex_ation



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Friendship, Gen, I probably overtagged but whatever, Rehabilitation, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23255617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vex_ation/pseuds/Vex_ation
Summary: True to form, Pearl goes missing two days before a zombie apocalypse, because Diamond's life can never be easy. Despite all the warning signs, Diamond never gives up hope that they will meet again. As Diamond soon learns, not all reunions are happy ones.
Relationships: Platinum Berlitz & Diamond & Pearl
Comments: 21
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm distracting myself from the current apocalypse by writing about a fictional one... but I guess it's working

”Zombies?”

“Zombies.”

“Diamond, you know I love you, but...  _ zombies _ ?”

“Zombies, Missy.”

Platinum let out a long sigh and closed her book, shifting to lean on the armrest of her chair. Her incredulous stare at Diamond was practically audible, but he looked back at her with wide eyes and an expression that said ‘no, I’m not kidding this time.’ Proteam Omega was broadcasting softly in the background, and as Platinum tried to grapple with this new information, Diamond nervously tapped away on his Poketch. She didn’t want to believe him, but the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. Even still…  _ zombies _ ? 

The tv suddenly buzzed, an emergency broadcast cutting through the cheesy dialogue. Diamond quickly leaned forward and turned up the volume as a panicked newscaster looked out at them through the screen. She spoke, and yet her voice seemed a million miles away. All Platinum could focus on were the video clips. There were clips of bloodstained, stumbling people and Pokémon, of blurred out corpses ripped to shreds and left on the streets. Platinum turned to Diamond with her deepest fears burning her throat. She didn’t have to speak, Diamond echoed her worst fears for him.

“He’s still not answering his phone.”

Platinum sighed. “Go home. Pack everything you can. Get your mom, get your neighbors if you have any. We can bunker here.”

“What about…”

“Leave a note on your door in case he stops by. If not, he’ll come here.”

Diamond seemed unsure. 

“We’ll find him,” Platinum assured him. “I promise.”

Nodding, Diamond took a long look back at her and ran out the door. Platinum watched the TV again, trying to tear her attention away from the broken bodies, from their barely decayed stumbling corpses, and the way their bloated torsos bobbed and jiggled on stick thin limbs as they meandered through the streets. Their loyal pokemon remained zombified at their sides, groaning and roaring in search of other living things to infect and devour. Platinum wondered if wild Pokemon were infected, but all the clips showed only trainers and their pokemon, stumbling around towards the center of the city. She thought about Pearl, now at his job, not in contact with them for days. He said he had to work overtime, but Diamond’s anxiety matched her suspicions. 

Enough with the videos. The infection, according to the rapidly scrolling text, all seemed to be concentrated in Veilstone. It wasn’t exactly ideal, and Platinum was extremely worried about Maylene, but the gym leader had already taken the helm doing daring rescues alongside her Riolu and getting the citizens to safety within the gym and dojo. Platinum began to pack a bag and lock the windows and doors, alerting everyone on staff that they were no longer under any obligation to serve. Many left with only a quick hug goodbye, thanking the young heiress as they collected their belongings and scattered to the wind to find their families and escape the region. Platinum almost followed them, and not long ago she might have. But hearing her emotions echo thunderously in her heart and mind, she knew she wouldn't dream of leaving  _ them _ behind. So she waited in the empty house for Diamond to get back. 

\---

Diamond burst into the house with a cry of “mama!” and tears already in his eyes. The time to get to Twinleaf from Sandgem wasn’t all that long, but he couldn’t help but worry. 

“Dia?” his mother called from upstairs. Panting, he replied with a shaky “yes” as his mother emerged, startled but otherwise unharmed, at the top of the stairs with a duffel bag full of supplies. 

“Are you ok?” she asked. Diamond nodded. “Are there any new cases around here?”

“Everything is still concentrated in Veilstone. We can stay at Platinum’s.”

“Why are we staying in Sinnoh in the first place?”

Diamond stayed silent for a long moment. “We can’t find Pearl.”

Joanna blinked, sighed, smiled. “I understand. Pack up anything you need from your room. We should move quickly.”

“O- ok.”

They passed each other on the stairs. There wasn’t much time. Diamond didn’t have much he needed to pack in the first place, but he was sure there was something in his room he would want to keep with him while they were holed up at Platinum’s mansion. 

He looked at all the things he would have to leave, unsure of whether he would ever see them again. Even little things, like the shape of the hallways and the smell of his bedroom, were things he was afraid to let go of, afraid to leave behind lest he never see or hear or feel them again. But he had to pack. There was no time to waste. 

Diamond looked around his bedroom. His bed, still rumpled from a poor job of putting the sheets back on, lay empty. A pristine collection of Proteam Omega figures sat on his desk. Little trinkets from his adventures and bags of snacks lay scattered around the room. He threw some non-perishable foods in his bag, some extra clothes, his toothbrush, and a tiny Proteam Omega keychain to remind him that everything would be ok. He had socks, toothpaste, jackets, and chips. There was enough to survive until things were fixed. His overnight bag was jam-packed with stuff, somehow managing to zip closed despite it all. 

He stopped when he saw something shine on his way out the door. His mom was calling his name, asking if he was ready to go, but all his attention was trapped by a singular picture on his desk. It showed him and Pearl just before the start of their adventure, just before they met Platinum. They were smiling at each other in the way that only best friends could, with sincerity and affection and a million other things Diamond couldn’t quite find the words for. For a moment, Diamond considered throwing the picture in his bag, if only to remember him by. 

No. 

They would see each other again. Diamond didn’t need that picture, because he would still have the real thing. Everything was going to be fine. He and Pearl would reunite soon, because that’s what best friends did. His best friend would never leave him behind and he fully intended to do the same. Slamming the door a bit harder than he meant to, he ran out of the room and down the stairs, calling to his mom that it was time to go as she scooped her Glameow from under the couch and followed him out the front door. He didn’t feel how the slamming door shook his desk, couldn’t see how the picture frame wobbled, and certainly couldn’t hear how it shattered as it hit the ground. 

Perhaps it didn’t matter. 

\----

Platinum paced the floor. Pachirisu was curled up on the armrest of her favorite chair, Lopunny sitting beside her and watching as their trainer fretted over her friends. Platinum was usually not this nervous, but judging by how often she was checking her watch, this was a serious matter indeed. Diamond had left two hours ago, and as the news reports ticked on, numbers climbed like skyscrapers. This was troublesome. 

Pearl had been missing for two days, Diamond was gone for two hours… Platinum didn’t like those numbers. Two felt wrong, incomplete, like a piece of a perfect group was missing. The doorbell rang and Diamond’s face lit up the security cameras, his mom smiling nervously from beside him. Unable to keep her audible sigh of relief, Platinum rushed to let them inside. Now it was just her, Sebastian, Diamond’s little family, and all their Pokemon. Platinum said a silent prayer to Arceus for the safety of her parents, her sister, and the missing member of their trio. She hoped it would all be over soon, that they would be free to search for their friend once more before the fridge was empty and the region was in chaos. She hoped to meet back up with her parents and pretend this never happened. She hoped their trio would remain a trio. Most of all, she hoped they could make it through this without him. But even as she hoped and prayed and wished, time never stopped. The news never stopped. 

“Veilstone Gym has been overrun b--”

Platinum turned off the TV. She didn’t want to know. 

\---

It was two thirty in the morning when Platinum finally knocked on Diamond’s door.

“People are coming here. Your mother and Sebastian are getting worried, and it looks like there’s an organiz— are you alright?” Platinum asked. Diamond sat on his bed, head buried in his knees as he tried to stare anywhere but his phone, which was ringing away. Again.

“He’s not going to pick up, his phone is probably dead,” Platinum explained as Diamond looked sadly up at her.

‘Or  _ he _ is dead, she thought to herself. Platinum wouldn’t admit it to Diamond— she was barely capable of admitting it to herself— but her optimism at Pearl’s continued survival was effectively nonexistent. It had already been two weeks with thousands of new cases a day and a steady dwindling of safe cities and hideouts. It seemed the entire region was on lockdown. Platinum couldn’t imagine Pearl out there in such chaos. 

Without Diamond to hold him back, how long could he last? He wouldn’t just disappear without telling them. Knowing Pearl, he’d try to find them or talk to them immediately, so to not hear from him after two whole weeks... it was time for Diamond to let go. Adjusting the strap of her bag, Platinum took a deep breath. Diamond needed to move on, and she was the one who needed to tell him that.

“We’re making camp for the other survivors. There are people coming, Diamond,  _ real _ people that need our help. I can’t do this without you.”

Diamond just looked up at her, as though letting his expression fall would erase the bloodshot lines in his eyes or the tiredness that darkened his features. Platinum sat on the bed beside him, rubbing circles on his back. 

“I miss him too.”

Platinum hated that she had to be the responsible one. Usually it was up to Pearl to run around leading the group, and though they all helped in their own way, she wasn't used to having to pull anyone out of a slump like Diamond was in now. She couldn't-- wouldn't-- replace Pearl even if she wanted to, because how could she?

It didn't really matter if she wanted to, because it's not like she had much of a choice. Pearl was likely dead and would lecture her from here to Acuity if he saw her moping like this. It seemed like there was an ocean between her and Diamond, an ocean she couldn’t hope to cross alone. They really did need him.  _ She _ really did need him. Together, not even the end of the world could have taken them down. Now, with a vital piece of their trio missing in action, they didn't need a zombie apocalypse to fall apart. It seemed they were doing it just fine on their own.

Platinum sighed, letting her shoulders slump. Diamond was depressed, mopey, and quite honestly entirely unhelpful in keeping things running. He was overcome with grief and anxiety, but what was she to do? She wasn't going to give him a lecture like Pearl would have. She couldn't do that. Silently, Diamond leaned into her, letting out a shaky breath that was almost a sob. The silence, for once, was a comfort. She couldn't replace Pearl, but as she gave Diamond’s hand a comforting squeeze and he squeezed back, she realized that maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to.

They would survive. They  _ had _ to survive. That’s what he would have wanted… right?

\---

The camp was thriving. The food storage was not. 

Electricity-- and by extent refrigeration-- went out not long after Platinum’s heart to heart with Diamond, because naturally things got worse as soon as they got their hopes up. Between Diamond and Joanna, they were mostly able to cook, store, and package all the perishable foods before they spoiled. Riley, the fan club chairman, and even the strangers that stumbled into their camp miraculously didn’t have electric pokemon-- or at least anything powerful enough to charge a generator-- so the whole lot of them were decidedly stuck. The produce was kaputz. 

When the perishables were gone, the camp moved to packaged goods. That worked fine until it didn’t, because even though things ran smoothly and the zombies hadn’t attacked in a week, there were still a lot of mouths to feed. Search parties became more frequent; powerful trainers and their pokemon would brave the zombie-infested wastelands to peruse abandoned malls and other stores for whatever they had left. Though panic buying had swept entire stores of specific goods, they were mostly able to get everything they needed, from toothpaste to teriyaki sauce. Toilet paper always seemed the first to go, but that was the least of their concerns; at least they could get their hands on food. 

The goal was to hold out until the supply drops they hoped were inevitable. The other regions-- assuming they also hadn’t been infected-- would surely not let the survivors starve… right? Platinum knew enough about hunting and farming that she and Diamond could, with the help of other survivors, live off the land if they needed to, but with any luck, this would all be over before then. At least, that’s what Diamond told himself. Now, clutching a bat in his sweaty palms as he crept silently towards the darkened warehouse, he wasn’t so sure. 

He knew as soon as he left that this was a terrible idea. He was just one person with one baseball bat in a place where he could be surrounded by zombies or looters at any time. If he succeeded, he’d get valuable supplies that would help his entire camp. If he failed he’d be dead.

Diamond didn’t like those odds. So he crept forward, trying to hold the bat despite his sweaty hands. The shuffling of zombies was strangely absent in this warehouse; there were only cicadas and dust clouds to keep him company. Slowly, Diamond moved among the boxes, picking medicines and non-perishable foods from among the discarded crates. His bag got heavier, bulging at the sides as it filled and Diamond struggled to keep it quiet. Noise could attract zombies—  _ would _ attract zombies— so it was best if he got the last of the supplies and got out before he was trapped.

Someone suddenly shuffled behind him and Diamond’s breath caught in his throat. Someone was at the entryway, the  _ only _ entryway, just standing there and breathing heavily. Diamond stayed still, knowing the zombie likely wouldn’t charge if he stayed still and quiet. But that didn’t matter, did it? Diamond was in plain sight. As he turned, he heard a light shuffling. Slow footsteps. The same short, heavy breaths.

Finally, Diamond whirled around and broke into a sprint, hoping to catch the zombie with his bat or even the bag, just enough to knock it off its feet and for Diamond to make it through the door; he could worry once he made it outside.

The familiar stripes and an unfamiliar far-away smile stopped Diamond dead in his tracks. The bat slipped from his hands, clattering to the floor and making a loud noise that reverberated through the warehouse. He waited for the zombie to charge, to attack, to rip his heart out in every sense of the word.

“D...... Dia...?” All he got was a smile and a shaky voice struggling to say his name. As tears sprang into Diamond’s eyes, he realized he would rather be dead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Credit to Sugar (@sugarkanz on tumblr) for the wonderful art in this chapter! <3

Diamond could do nothing but stare. The zombie was  _ him _ , it was unmistakably him, but that meant… that meant that Diamond was too late. Diamond memorized every scratch, every wound, every tear in his shirt and hole in his scarf. His best friend would be the last thing he saw before he was inevitably devoured, but he never imagined it would be like this. This was not supposed to be their reunion. He was not supposed to die at the hands of his best friend. 

Diamond took a shaky step backwards. Pearl was walking towards him with a slowness that made chills race up Diamond’s spine. There was nowhere to run, but now what? Was Diamond just supposed to… leave him here? Kill him? He was a zombie, his  _ best friend _ was a zombie, but even still, could he raise a hand against him? 

Pearl was getting closer, but Diamond remained frozen. His limbs felt like lead, his heart pounding and racing to free itself from its sodden prison. His brain was screaming for him to run, to fight, to do something. Diamond stood still, even as Pearl closed the distance between them, even as his warm and rotten-smelling breath hit Diamond’s face, even as his pale arms wrapped around him, even as his lips parted and shiny white teeth were bared against his neck. Diamond did not wince, even as the zombie pulled him in tightly. He waited for the bite that never came. No screams were torn from his throat, no nails dug into his back. There was no tearing of flesh or snapping of bone, no gnashing of teeth or primal cries. There was only a soft hug and a silent “I miss you”. 

Diamond hugged his best friend back. This was not yet a tragedy. 

“Pearl?” Diamond asked as he broke the hug. Pearl stared back at him, his expression blank and eye glassy. There was no understanding. He tried something else. Slowly, cautiously, he pointed at himself. 

“Dia?” Pearl’s voice was shaky from underuse. He slurred the word as though he weren’t quite used to the feeling of his tongue in his mouth. Even still, his eye flashed with recognition. He knew Diamond at least. That was… something? Diamond sighed. This made things complicated. Diamond wasn’t about to bring a zombie, docile or not, to the middle of the camp. Even still, he didn’t want to just collect his supplies and go. Perhaps… perhaps he could jog Pearl’s memory, at least enough to get him to stay until they worked things out. 

“Speaking of Pokemon…” Diamond tested. Pearl stared at him, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as though the phrase seemed familiar, but that was about it. There was no parroting back or beginning of a routine, no familiar banter or a slap. Just a sense of familiarity and grasping at long forgotten memories. That wasn’t going to work. 

“Platinum Berlitz,” Diamond said. Pearl’s face lit up, eye shining bright and a smile teasing at his lips. Diamond couldn’t help but sigh with relief. At least he knew that. 

“Can you understand me?” Diamond asked. Pearl just stared blankly at him. Diamond sighed and took Pearl’s hand-- firm and ice cold-- in his. “Squeeze once for no, twice for yes.”

Pearl squeezed his hand softly and wiggled it around, evidently more interested in their interlocked fingers than whatever Diamond had to say. Alright. His best friend had the intelligence of a toddler and the docile nature of a Mareep. And yet… he was a zombie. It wasn’t exactly the worst case scenario, but even still this was less than ideal. The sun was already setting outside, which meant that it would be harder to see whatever zombies were headed their way. He could just leave now, but… the idea of leaving Pearl behind now, possibly never seeing him again if he happened to wander off… it wasn’t a chance Diamond would likely have again. He had to make something work-- and quickly. 

“Stay,” he commanded Pearl as he gathered his things and looked around. Pearl stared after him quizzically, moving to follow. Diamond pressed a hand to his head and pushed him back, shaking his head and repeating “stay”. Pearl seemed resigned to his fate, slumping unceremoniously to the ground. He sat there patiently as Diamond looked around. There was a rope, a shattered broomhandle… that’d work. Waving goodbye to Pearl and promised he’d come back soon, Diamond gathered the assorted objects and left. There was only one door to the warehouse, and though zombies were stronger than people, they were not stronger than warehouse doors. As Pearl sat on the floor, letting the shadows wash over him as the only exit swung closed, Diamond jammed the broomhandle between the bars. He tied the rope around the handles just in case, locking the warehouse up tight. No one, no matter how idiotic, would bust through this lock now. The whole camp had been using this method to lock zombies inside various buildings and storerooms-- no one would get to Pearl before tomorrow, and there was no way Pearl could get back out. 

He hoped Pearl wouldn’t be too mad at him by the time he got back. 

\---

Diamond had to admit, he never thought Platinum would be more of a piece of work than a zombie, and yet… here he was. He found it easier to teach Pearl, now a nearly brain-dead zombie, than to escape the prying eyes of his camp, who were starting to get suspicious of his near daily disappearances. He wanted to tell them, he really did, but he just couldn’t risk them barging into the warehouse and ruining everything with a single gunshot. He loved his mom and he loved Platinum, but he couldn’t always trust them with so many nosy camp members. The survivors meant well, but how could they understand? They only saw a zombie, the missing eye and slouched skin and decaying flesh. They only saw the dead stare and rotten breath. They couldn’t see the brief flashes of recognition in his eye. They couldn’t feel the gentle way Pearl held his hands, hear the way that he said his name. They wouldn’t understand, and if they couldn’t, then they would take away Diamond’s only chance to get his best friend back. And so each day he slipped out, ignoring their suspicions and trying to teach Pearl something new. His success was limited, but Diamond was not about to give up. Pearl would have never given up on him, and now they were so close to getting him back. 

That didn’t make it any easier. 

Today was just another day in the warehouse, Diamond futilely trying to teach Pearl to understand something deeper than Diamond and Platinum’s names and faces. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure out whether Pearl understood anymore than the day before. At this point, it was starting to get disheartening. 

”Dia........ Di.... amond. Diamond!!” Pearl called, happily repeating the mantra of Diamond’s name like a child who just learned a new word. Diamond had to wonder if Pearl really understood the sounds or if he was simply a parrot, mimicking things for the reaction without truly understanding what they meant. 

Did Pearl even understand anything anymore?

“Diamond!” he said again, louder this time as his friend stood up. He looked back at Pearl, who watched his walk towards the door sadly, like a puppy not wanting to be left alone. He quickly shuffled up to Diamond, grabbing on his coat and shaking his head.

“No......” he groaned.

“You have to stay,” Diamond said, gently uncurling his cold fingers from his jacket. Pearl latched onto him again, staring at him with a wide eye.

“Dia... mond.....” he pleaded.

“ _ No _ ,” Diamond said firmly. “You have to stay.”

But Pearl remained locked on tight, pressing himself into Diamond’s side. Fed up and worried, he grabbed Pearl by the collar and pulled him back. The momentum caused Pearl to topple backwards and hit the floor hard. The zombie yipped in surprise, staring at Diamond in hurt and betrayal.

“ _ Stay _ ,” he said, closing the door behind him.

\---

Diamond was beginning to give up. It had been weeks--  _ weeks _ \-- and Diamond had made almost no progress. Without a real way to tell if Pearl understood him, he was lost. Pearl got better at speaking, at relearning how to form different sounds, but it didn’t change the fact that he was like a Chatot, repeating only what he was told. He didn’t  _ really _ understand, and that was what counted. Even still though, he would try again, because Pearl wasn’t someone who would ever give up, zombified or not. He walked up to the warehouse again, just like he did every day, only to find the door open just a crack. 

Diamond’s heart pounded in his chest immediately. Had he… forgotten to lock the door? What if Pearl escaped? Would he leave the warehouse? Forget how to get back? Maybe he was lost, or hurt, or… no, he wasn’t dead. Diamond pushed the thought to the furthest reaches of his mind as he, heaving with his anxious breathing, threw open the door. Pearl yelped, wincing at the sudden light and scrambling backwards. The adrenaline made Diamond’s blood run cold, but upon seeing Pearl in the same spot he left him seemingly unharmed, Diamond couldn’t help but relax. 

“Hi Pearl,” he said softly. 

“Diamond!” Pearl chirped excitedly. Diamond sometimes wondered if that was all he could say. Brought back to the hopelessness of the situation, he shut the door behind him as Pearl hobbled towards hi-- wait. Hobbled? 

“Did you follow me last night?” Diamond asked. Pearl nodded. 

“What happened?”

Pearl stared blankly. Right… no questions, he wasn’t great at those. 

“Hurt?” Diamond asked, pointing to Pearl. Pearl shifted and showed Diamond the inside his ankle, which was caked with blood and turned at an awkward angle. Diamond knelt down as Pearl crumpled in front of him, able to chip the dried blood off with his finger. He moved slowly to treat the wound-- flesh wounds didn’t seem to hurt zombies or deter them at all, but he had no idea if zombies could feel pain or get infections. Regardless, it felt wrong to just leave it, even if it meant nothing anyway. 

Pearl let out a hiss of pain as Diamond poked at the wound. 

“I want to take the bullet out,” he said, washing the exposed flesh and tapping the offending metal with his knife. 

“Just… hold still.”

It seemed like Pearl was trying, but every once in a while he would buck or scream in protest. So zombies could feel pain. 

That kind of sucked. 

Diamond took it easy the rest of the day, hunting for supplies as Pearl ambled in front of him. Together, they could make it mostly undisturbed through zombie-infested areas, as Pearl could motion to Diamond what was safe and what wasn’t. He may have had the mental facilities of a toddler, but he wouldn’t run away. That was something. 

By the end of the day, Pearl had helped Diamond find more supplies than Diamond had found in the last week. He gave Pearl a high five, which took quite a while to explain, but eventually the sun was setting and Diamond had to leave… again. This time, Pearl was not as keen to let his friend escape so easily. 

”Stay,” Pearl whined, trying to wrap Diamond in a hug as the hunter tried to leave the warehouse.

“You know I can’t,” Diamond replied, pulling away and walking more briskly towards the door.

“ _ Stay _ ,” Pearl repeated more forcefully, trying to latch onto Diamond’s wrist.

Diamond yanked his arm away in frustration. He wasn’t mad at Pearl per say, but his friend’s increasingly stagnant intelligence was disheartening. Pearl had a very limited vocabulary: Diamond, Stay, Yes, No, and occasionally Please, but he didn’t ever seem to try and expand it other than parroting words back to Diamond. He had to wonder if Pearl was ever going to be the same or if Diamond would have to deal with this excitable shell of what his best friend used to be. Feeling tears spring in his eyes at the thought, he marched forward towards the door.

“Stay,” Pearl repeated more quietly. His gaze has softened and his eye matched Diamond’s— if he could cry he would probably be close to it by now. “Stay.... please. Lonely.”

Diamond turned with a start. Not only was that a new word, but it was one Diamond didn’t remember using when they talked.

“.... you’re lonely in here?” Diamond asked. Pearl sadly nodded his head, holding his hand close to his chest like an expectant child. Diamond walked back to him and wrapped him in a hug.

“You know I have to go, but I’ll be back soon. Please wait for me, ok?”

Pearl looked down at him hopefully.

“Be back soon?” he asked. Diamond gently brushed the hair out of his face and smiled.

“Yes,” he said. That seemed satisfying enough, so Pearl let him go and stepped back.

“Ok?” he parroted as Diamond walked out the door.

“Yeah,” Diamond thought to himself as he walked back to camp, the warehouse locked up behind him. “It’s all gonna be ok.”

\---

For once, it finally seemed like things were turning around. Slowly…  _ very _ slowly, but very surely, Pearl was learning. There would be flickers of old memories in his conversations, new words that popped into his vocabulary. He started to greet Diamond with their old manzai routine, obviously not understanding the weight of it, but able to use it in a sentence regardless. Things were looking good (finally). Diamond had dealt with enough, but finally his patience was being rewarded. Pearl was making progress, and if he was making progress… their trio could find some shred of normalcy again. 

Diamond had taught Pearl enough that his worry was beginning to fade. Pearl knew how to surrender, not to approach humans, how to say that he was a friend and wouldn’t hurt anyone. If on the off chance he ever got caught outside again without Diamond’s help… perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad this time. In their most recent lesson, Pearl learned how to say “don’t shoot”-- perhaps it was morbid, but it was necessary for a friendly zombie like him. Satisfied with the days’ work, Diamond gave Pearl a quick hug and left for the mansion. Platinum would be on guard duty, and he could make his absence up to her by chatting on the porch. She needed the company and one of his apologies. Though he felt bad about keeping her in the dark, he knew it was in everyone’s best interests if she didn’t know. The less people who knew about Pearl the better as far as he was concerned, and he was sure if Platinum were in his place she would do the same. 

As Diamond climbed the hill to the stairs of Platinum’s mansion, she was the only thing on his mind. He couldn’t wait until they were all together again, to see how she would respond to find out that yes, their friend was alive. Platinum wouldn’t care that he was undead-- all that mattered was that he was improving, that he could go back to the way he was, that he was alive. She would be thrilled to see him, Diamond was sure of it. 

Platinum’s shocked face and the rifle pointed at his face said otherwise. 

“Missy!” said a familiar voice from behind Diamond, and suddenly Diamond realized just what the gun was pointing at. There was a gentle click as the safety was unlocked, and though he couldn’t see Pearl’s face, he could only guess what kind of expression he held. Pearl’s voice was shaky and slurred, whether from poor speaking abilities or absolute terror Diamond wasn’t sure. 

“D- Don’t shoot,” he said softly, parroting Diamond’s words from today’s lesson. Diamond’s breath seemed trapped in his lungs, and for the second time, Pearl had left him frozen. Platinum’s finger wrapped around the trigger. 

This was not good. 


	3. Chapter 3

Shit. Fuck. Goddamnit. 

Diamond waved his hands to try and distract Platinum. He could see her shaking from here, see her hitched breath and how she blinked to hide the tears. She didn’t want to do this, so hopefully she’d be easy to convince. 

“He’s friendly!” Diamond shouted. “Don’t… don’t shoot, he’s not going to hurt anyone!”

Platinum’s gaze darted between them as Diamond slowly shuffled in Pearl’s direction. 

“You… Diamond you can’t… he’s not… stop it,” she whispered, her voice sad and hurt. Diamond ignored her, knowing he had to prove to her beyond a shadow of a doubt that Pearl was docile as a Mareep. He put his hand on Pearl’s shoulder. Platinum tensed. 

“Watch,” Diamond said, shoving his entire hand into Pearl’s mouth. Pearl did not seem pleased. 

“NO!” Platinum screamed. Pearl stood frozen, glancing back and forth between Diamond and Platinum, unsure of what he was supposed to do. “What are you doing!?”

“See? He won’t hurt me! He doesn’t bite!” Diamond said, but Platinum stared at him in disbelief. It was likely he only convinced her that he was insane. Pearl mumbled something, evidently uncomfortable with the feeling of Diamond’s entire fist in his mouth. Realizing that his fist with dripping with zombie saliva and also that he just shoved his hand halfway down his best friend’s throat without asking, Diamond flushed and quickly pulled his hand back, wiping all the spit on his jacket. As Pearl spit on the ground and pawed at his sore jaw, Platinum stared at them absolutely flabbergasted. 

“Pearl?” she asked, and the zombie perked up like a dog. 

“Missy!” he chirped. As the gun’s muzzle dipped and Platinum let it clatter to the ground, she began to tear up. 

“Don’t do this. Don’t do this to me,” she cried. “Please don’t be so cruel.”

Pearl just stared at her, hurt by her lukewarm reaction. Slowly, he stepped towards her. Diamond felt his breath hitch. 

He felt nervous often. He felt nervous when preparing for a comedy show, when pulling a cake out of the oven, when watching the news of a recent tragedy and waiting with bated breath to see if everyone was ok. He had never felt more nervous than now. 

She dropped her hand, stumbling backwards when she was close enough to see the tears in Pearl's striped shirt and his ruffled hair and the rotting flesh and pus that oozed and rolled down his neck. 

"No..." she said, staring at him. "You can't... no."

Pearl took a step towards her, his lame leg dragging a bit on the dirt. Diamond said nothing as Pearl closed the distance between them. There wasn't a hint of change on anyone's face that Diamond could see, only the same static anxiety. There was only him, Platinum, and a zombie-- sorry, a friend-- three feet between them. 

And then everything happened at once. With speed Diamond didn't know he had, Pearl lunged forward with a cry, wrapping his arms around Platinum and pressing his face into her shoulder. Diamond reached out wondering if he made a mistake, waiting to see Pearl's bared teeth and hear Platinum's scream and watch as the blood oozed from the bite wound in her neck. But it never came. 

Pearl's hands dug into Platinum's jacket, and it was bubbling sobs that rose from Pearl, not snarls. He was... hugging her. Platinum's arms slowly moved to wrap around him in return. 

"I... I missed you," she finally said. Pearl made some kind of gurgling noise in response, but that was enough.

\---

When faced with his next challenge, Diamond soon realized that convincing Platinum of Pearl’s remaining humanity would be a piece of cake compared to what lay ahead. She, at least, wanted to keep him safe. She cared about him, they were best friends, part of an inseparable trio. The other survivors in the bunker didn’t feel the same way. Bringing Pearl inside would set them off like deranged chickens, and the fallout? He didn’t want to think about it. They had gotten this far, and the thought of it being destroyed by someone who couldn’t understand tore him up inside. Instead, Diamond chose to sneak Platinum back to the warehouse, explaining their escapades along the way. Evidently Platinum wasn’t quite used to the idea that Pearl was alive and well and.. Uh… zombified. Her gaze was focused entirely on him, never leaving even for a moment as they walked, as though she was afraid he was an apparition, an illusion of an impossible hope, fleeting and apt to disappear if she so much as turned away for a moment. Diamond wondered if she was even listening. 

Platinum stared at the ground, melancholy and with eyebrows furrowed. 

“Your optimism saved him,” she said quietly. “I would have shot him… in fear or as a precaution I cannot say for sure, but I think we all should consider ourselves blessed that you were the one who found him and not myself or any of the others at camp.”

Diamond just rubbed the back of his neck. Pearl was walking slightly ahead of them, either unaware or unreactive to the new knowledge that Platinum would have blown his brains out had Diamond not been there to stop her. For once, Diamond hoped Pearl couldn’t understand. When they reached the warehouse, Diamond showed her where everything was hidden-- how they disguised it to seem abandoned from the outside, where Pearl could hide away where hunters wouldn’t find him, and how Diamond set up the shrubbery outside to prevent scouts from wanting to get too close. She seemed impressed at the two of them and their strange system. Though it was indeed a bit bizarre to imagine why one would spend their time in the zombie apocalypse trying to protect a zombie, knowing just who she was dealing with really put things in perspective. 

Even still, there were some hard truths that Platinum knew Diamond would have to deal with. Like it or not, reality was not as optimistic as Diamond believed it to be. She sat on the idea for a while, mulling it over the entire walk. Admittedly, she did not want to be the one who had to break his heart. For the sake of them all, however, she knew she had to be the one to tell him. 

“You need to let him go,” Platinum said suddenly. The three of them were sitting on the floor of the warehouse, munching on some of the berries Pearl had collected not long ago. Diamond stared at her, taken aback. 

“I love him too, but people are already getting suspicious-- I was getting suspicious. You can’t keep this up forever, and when the rest of the survivors find him they will kill him. For his safety, I think it’s best you let him go.”

Diamond just stared at her, incredulous. He had done so much work, put in so much time and love and patience and she was ready to throw it all away? After they’d come so far? After he proved Pearl was friendly? 

“You’re… just going to give up?” Diamond responded. Platinum’s face was hidden by shadows. She slowly took his hand in hers. 

“I love him too you know,” she said, trying to hide the wavering in her voice. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“But they’ll understand!” Diamond protested, “just like you did!”

When Platinum looked up at him, he noticed there were tears in her eyes. 

“Are you willing to take that chance?”

Diamond faltered. He and Platinum looked up at Pearl, who had been watching the entire exchange with a worried expression. 

“Don’t… fight,” he pleaded. “I don’t want friends to be sad.”

Platinum stood up without another word, breaking into a sprint as soon as she left the warehouse and wiping at her eyes. Diamond didn’t bother to chase after her, instead listening as her footsteps faded into the distance and blanketed the warehouse in silence. Pearl said nothing, only hanging his head. Diamond looked at him, at the guilt in his expression, at the depth to his emotions and the empathy, the _humanity_ , still beating as strong as ever within his heart. Was he really going to risk it? 

Diamond stood up. His mind was made. He smiled down at Pearl as brightly as he could manage, made him promise to be good. He walked out of the warehouse without looking back, telling Pearl to just wait, that he would be back soon. Pearl sat back on the floor, an uneasy smile on his face as Diamond shut the door. With a heavy heart, Diamond pushed the lock back into place to make sure Pearl wouldn’t be able to follow him for a long time. 

“I’ll come back soon,” he whispered to the door. He heard a soft whine from inside and wondered briefly if Pearl could tell he was lying. 

\---

When Diamond got back, he blew past the guards, past the people he usually greeted with a smile, and past the people working in the kitchens to sort food. He could feel sobs stinging his throat like acid, feel nausea rising and his stomach twist in knots. He wasn’t in the right state of mind anymore, he just couldn’t keep up the cheery exterior like he wanted to. The rest of camp would have to survive without him being their emotional rock for a little while. He ignored the stares, the whispers, the looks of concern and the hands on his shoulders. His only response to “what’s wrong” was to keep walking, because how could he explain? Who would believe him? He was supposed to open up, to be honest and transparent so they could all trust each other and survive together as one-- no secrets, no lies, nothing that could jeopardize their safety. Instead, he threw himself onto Platinum’s locked door, hands digging at the wood as he fought back tears. 

“I let him go,” he whispered. His only answer was silence. But as he let his hands fall to his sides and moved to go to his own bedroom, the door swung open. Platinum stared back at him with bloodshot eyes, and it was all he could do to not fall into her arms. She walked him to the bed, where they both sat down. Their eyes met, and though they both knew they would never agree on the best course of action, their eyes held the same love of their friend, the same pain at leaving him, and the same heartache without him here with them. She took his hands in her, unspoken apologies hanging in the air above their heads like shameful mistletoe. He let his head fall into her shoulder, just sitting there in each other’s arms, letting the hours fall away as though they had no meaning. Right now, they had each other. 

As long as that hole remained in their hearts and as long as that piece of them remained missing, locked up in a warehouse wondering what he did wrong, just the two of them would have to suffice no matter how much it hurt. 

\--

The days seemed to move more slowly without visits to look forward to. No longer could Diamond wonder what Pearl had in store for him today, what surprises his actions and words took. There would be no more days where Diamond felt elated at their progress, where Diamond would laugh at his silly antics, feel the overwhelming pride when Pearl remembered something new about him. Instead there was just wondering, a silent hope that he would be alright. Hope. That’s all Diamond could do was hope, when uncertainty hung in the air. 

Diamond often wondered how Pearl felt, how he was handling being alone, if Pearl thought perhaps it was his fault. He wondered if Pearl missed him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the thought. Even if he wasn’t around, Pearl was still haunting him, more dangerous than slavering jaws or primal hunger could ever be. Instead, he infected Diamond’s heart with this strange yearning, this everlasting confusion and suffering because Diamond simply couldn’t leave his best friend alone like that. He was a part of their trio, an unshakeable bastion of determination and will that never gave up, that always inspired the two of them to keep trying no matter what. 

And here they were giving up on him. 

While Diamond was lost in his thoughts, a gunshot rang out just outside the compound. There was another, and another, and then suddenly a bell that had Diamond on his feet, running before his mind could catch up. He was out the door, a scream rising in his throat before his brain caught up and sent all his panic alarms ringing. 

Zombie. There was a zombie on base. 

Part of him hoped it was some regular zombie, one of the flesh-eating monsters who couldn’t feel pain, who couldn’t feel much of anything except hunger and bloodlust. He wanted it to be a beast like that, because as selfish as it sounded, that meant it wasn’t who he thought it was. Sadly, he knew the truth the moment he heard that gunshot. No zombie was dumb enough to approach this place-- it was swarming with guards and scouts for almost a mile in any direction. To be dumb enough to brave it all but smart enough to not be captured, that was the mark of something special. Of someone special. The person on base was no ordinary zombie, and when Platinum appeared at his side, still not changed out of her nightgown, they didn’t need to exchange so much as a glance to know the truth. A flash of stripes, orange and white, in the bushes was all they needed to know. Gunshots ripped apart the shrubbery, but the zombie was already gone. For once, Platinum and Diamond prayed for their safety. It couldn’t end like this, not after they tried so hard. 

The next few days were wracked with anxiety. Platinum and Diamond couldn’t go out, not with the camp on high alert like this. There was no way to know if Pearl was ok, if Pearl was _alive_ , and so the days went on slower than Diamond had ever seen them. All they could do was wait, bide their time, and hope that maybe, just maybe, he would be waiting for them… not that they deserved it. 

When the day finally came, when the two of them finally tracked down the old warehouse, they found the lock abandoned by the side of the door. He had escaped and come looking for them. He was worried, scared, and willing to risk it all for them… and they weren’t willing to return the favor. He was far more determined than they, and perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise that even after everything, he was still there waiting for them when they walked in the door. 

To Diamond’s surprise, it was Platinum who rushed in to hug him. 

“Never do something that reckless ever again,” she whispered, holding him close. Pearl stood there terrified, every muscle tense and his eye darting around in fear. When Platinum stepped back, her smile immediately faltered. Though uninjured, he was scared. 

“They tried to shoot me,” he said, a brief moment of consciousness. “I… I was scared.”

Diamond and Platinum exchanged a glance, unsure of what to say. Somehow, Pearl kept talking. 

“I didn’t… I didn’t want to lose you… I… I…”

When he stared at them again, he looked terrified. The blankness was there like a fog behind his eye. When Diamond and Platinum exchanged a glance, they knew there were only two options-- they either abandoned Pearl here, or they left the base to stay with him. It was a tough choice, but a necessary one. Before they could make up their minds, however, Pearl put his hands on theirs, silently pleading with the last bits of his apparently fading lucidity. 

“There’s something I need to show you.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Motivation is a fickle beast, so after months of hiatus I managed to pump out the rest of this AU in two days. I guess it counts as an apology for the delay ;;  
> Thanks so much to everyone who stuck with this fic and has been leaving comments, your support means so much to me!!  
> Finally, I want to give a special thanks to Aero, who made some wonderful art of this fic (linked below), as well as Sugar, who made the art you see in Chapter 2, as well as being the beta for this fic and helping me the whole way with the plot! Couldn't have done it without your help :)  
> Link to art: https://pk-freezer-burnt.tumblr.com/post/624122143114936320/till-death-do-us-part-chapter-1-vexation

If you told Diamond that, at some point in this apocalypse, he would be following his zombified friend into the wilderness for no reason other than trust, risking all their lives and abandoning all the other survivors, he probably would have believed you, if only because he is Diamond and trusting is in his nature. Platinum, however, would not have believed you, and she still couldn’t quite believe it even as she walked at Pearl’s side, trudging through the forest.

It all seemed so bizarre. The truth was something extraordinary, something so farfetched and absurd that it would take a thousand years of convincing to believe, and even then, it was hard to imagine unless one could see it with their own eyes. Thus, Platinum found her thoughts wandering, because the longer she focused on what she was doing-- what she was really doing and all the consequences-- the greater the risk she would abandon their quest and return to the bunker, where at least things made some sense. She simply chose to stare ahead of her, watching Pearl as he led them through the woods. She could only hope he had her best interests at heart. 

Pearl seemed more cautious that usual, pausing every few steps to listen and look around in case any hunters got the wrong idea. They already knew what he looked like, so one could only imagine the protocol for such an elusive and intelligent zombie was “shoot on sight without hesitation”. Unlike Diamond and Platinum, whose connection to him swayed their thinking, Pearl couldn't imagine any of the other survivors being so kind. Thus, the moment they heard a shuffle of the bushes or faraway conversations, Pearl dropped to the ground, disguising himself among the bushes while they waited for the danger to pass. Wherever Pearl wanted to take them, he was intent on getting them there safely. All of them. 

Unfortunately, however, Pearl would not tell them where exactly they were going no matter how much Diamond or Platinum pestered him. Some things, apparently, were meant to be secrets-- or more likely Pearl did not entirely remember where he was going and didn’t want to alarm them. Thus, their walk was mostly in silence, simply listening for danger and wondering what came next. 

Diamond could not stop thinking about what happened after this. They were more than willing to follow Pearl, but the unspoken decision of the last hour was still looming over their heads. After this, they had to choose between him and the other survivors. The “safe zone” became smaller, but hunting grounds increased, and now even the warehouse had been compromised. There was no telling what was safe anymore, but there was certainly nothing nearby that would keep Pearl protected from prying eyes and paranoid, trigger-happy survivors. They could leave him to his own devices, try to relocate him and risk all their lives, or simply leave with him, abandoning the survivors and everyone else they cared about. 

Being in a zombie apocalypse was filled with more agonizing decisions than the three of them were prepared to handle. 

\---

“Where… are we?” Diamond asked, staring up at the rusted, ivy-covered doors of the building Pearl had brought them to. It looked abandoned, but only barely, clearly a hub of activity in the days leading up to the apocalypse. Amazing what a few months of not cleaning or landscaping could do. As he looked over at Pearl, however, he looked as confused as Diamond. 

“I… have to bring you here. Don’t know why,” he said, his words falling back into the slur that Diamond had become accustomed to. His gaze was clouded but determined, and Diamond could tell this place was vitally important to Pearl… but he couldn’t fathom why. Platinum looked about ready to snap, the worry and mental exhaustion of the previous week creeping into her expression. Silently, she unwound the ivy around the door, jiggling the lock and watching as the door swung open easily. 

“Electronic lock,” she mused. Platinum glanced back at Diamond as Pearl stepped past them, his eye locked on something in front of them it seemed neither of them could see. Unsure of what to do but unwilling to let him go in alone, they followed-- because stumbling around in abandoned buildings was probably the least strange thing they had done that week. The corridors were dark-- a sad consequence of a building with no electricity or windows, but as long as they followed the sound of Pearl’s footsteps, everything was alright. Somehow, he seemed to know exactly where he was going, even if he wasn’t entirely sure why. 

“I don’t know how safe it is stumbling around in the dark,” Platinum admitted. “By chance does this building have a backup generator?”

Pearl turned around to stare at her, apparently lost in thought. Then, without dignifying her question with a response, he turned around and led them back down the hallway to a staircase obscured by the shadows. He pointed down there, ignoring the way Platinum gawked at his suggestion. Even still, Platinum was the first down the stairs, gently feeling her way along the railing and walls of the basement until finally her hand rested on something covered in cobwebs and dust, but otherwise entirely functional. Pearl, his night vision evidently much better than hers due to his zombified senses, began to click some buttons and wind a few cranks before finally, the generator sputtered to life with a low purr. 

Platinum frowned at it. “We don’t have much time. Let us hurry before the place is shrouded in darkness once more.”

The three of them left the basement, seeing just what they had been walking past in the dark. Long, silvery hallways plastered with awards and panes of glass stretched endlessly in every direction, but somehow Pearl knew the labyrinth like the back of his hand. Briefly, Diamond remembered him mentioning working somewhere like this-- as a janitor or something, he said-- so maybe… maybe this was his workplace? It didn’t explain Pearl’s passion to bring them here, but the gears in Diamond’s head were already turning. As Pearl led them deeper and deeper, they passed empty labs with high tech equipment, overturned hospital beds and quickly abandoned stations, the samples still rotting in their test tubes. Pearl walked past them as though they were part of the background-- nothing exciting, nothing new. 

“This is really creepy,” Diamond admitted. “Do we really want to be here when the lights go back out?”

“I agree,” Platinum admitted. “It would be far too easy to get lost. I am not sure I trust this mission of ours. Perhaps we should leave.”

Pearl turned back at them, shaking his head. He didn’t offer much else beyond that, only urging them onwards. However, he couldn’t stop the racing of Diamond’s heart or the fear that bubbled in Platinum’s chest. There was something sinister about this building, this strange hospital / lab hybrid, and neither of them wanted anything to do with it. As they walked, they urged Pearl to stop with them, to turn around, to do anything but plunge deeper into this terrifying and vacant building. He only kept walking. He refused to stop, but because this was Pearl, perhaps it was to be expected. And then they found the cages. 

Walls and walls of cages lined the hallways, the stench of rotten flesh and who knows what else filling the air. Each cage had something in it-- something different, whether it be a decomposing corpse or a hunched over figure snarling and frothing at the mouth. Some of them seemed like Pearl, a deep sadness in their eyes as they stared in horror and wonder at the first people, living people, to have come in for months. Pearl didn’t so much as spare them a passing glance, even as Platinum and Diamond stared in mortification at the pathetic excuses for living things stuck in the cages. 

Everything about it, from the smells to the screams to the zombies that hardly seemed human anymore gnawing at the bars with bony fingers and broken teeth. Their mournful howls would likely haunt Diamond and Platinum for years to come, but somehow Pearl seemed entirely unbothered. He simply beckoned them along, as though there was nothing to see. Platinum suddenly paused at an empty cage, the door left open and unlocked. Something about it had piqued her interest, but Diamond could only wonder where that particular zombie had disappeared to, or perhaps if they were still in the building. Platinum stared at the identification number etched into the wall, looked back as Pearl as he impatiently motioned them forward-- oh how they missed that-- and shook her head. Pearl led them to a huge steel door, staring up at it in confusion for a moment as though wondering why this was the place that stuck out in his memory. 

“Do you know this place?” Diamond offered. “Do you have the key?”

Pearl turned, staring at a pad on the side of the door. Silently, he walked over to it, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do with it, before finally pressing his thumb onto the pad. The door swung open, grinding angrily from lack of use. Diamond and Platinum stared at Pearl, then quietly followed him inside. 

If the hallways were creepy, this was so, so much worse. A massive MRI machine took up a considerable chunk of the room, the generator causing the computers to roar to life. Their files, all printed and in different color paper, were strewn across the desk intermittent with messy, handwritten notes. Some had crinkled, dark brown stains splattered across the front. Platinum approached them softly, captivated and horrified by the information laying in front of her. 

“They were experimenting here… on zombies,” she explained as she flipped through the files. Diamond and Pearl watched in awe as she scanned the files, organizing them faster than they could believe and sorting them into the bent manilla folders that littered the room. 

“The strand escaped from this lab… they must have started this whole thing. And… and they were working on a vaccine. There were prototypes, different proteins and antibodies.”

Platinum stared at one of the files for a long time, her eyebrows furrowing. 

“This number is the one on the empty cage. It’s…”

Platinum took a photo out of the stack and held it up to Pearl, studying them silently as Pearl wilted under her steely gaze. She yanked his shirt up, comparing the stitchwork and bite wounds, the scars and rashes, the skin tone and color and birthmarks. As she suspected, they were a perfect match. 

“The number is yours, Pearl,” she said quietly. “You had the prototype vaccine. That’s why… that’s why you’re different,” she said, more to herself than the room. Pearl only shrugged. 

“I don’t remember,” Pearl admitted. Platinum continued to flip through the files. 

“They… they were looking at you because you were different, they found things in your blood, antibodies, antibodies that could attack the prions somehow, the ones that caused the disease. They… they found a cure. It’s not perfect, but it’s something. You getting the virus after the vaccine, probably while working here… that was the key. These files, this discovery…  _ you _ , Pearl, are the missing piece. You’re the one who can help end this.”

“A part of me knew that, I think,” Pearl said. “But I don’t… I don’t remember it. I just knew I had to bring you here, and being here… I feel like my memories are coming back, like everything is being unlocked in my brain.”

“We need to get these files to someone,” Diamond added, placing a hand on Platinum’s shoulder. “Survivors, other regions… anywhere with the technology to fix this.” Platinum nodded. One of them would keep Pearl safe while the other showed the files to anyone they could and explained how Pearl was safe. It would be difficult, but they had something they didn’t before-- hope. 

As if celebrating their accomplishment, the lights flickered out as a low growl resounded from behind them. The three of them whirled about, and within a moment, they found each others’ hands. The last bit of the computer’s battery cast an eerie blue glow on the zombie rushing them, just long enough to see the white lab coat and bloodshot eyes. 

“Run,” Pearl whispered as the footsteps rapidly got closer. Then, pushing them out the door, “RUN.”

Platinum hesitated, standing shell-shocked as Diamond dragged her away. “He’ll be fine,” Diamond assured her. “I trust him.”

For a moment, Platinum looked numb as Pearl grabbed the zombie by the wrists, throwing her backwards with an animalistic yowl. Then, as the sounds of battle grew louder, she sped past Diamond, now dragging him along as she retraced their steps along the corridor. Diamond thanked the stars for her photographic memory as they rushed past the cages, the labs, the abandoned samples and broken vials before crashing through the outside doors to the brilliant glow of midafternoon. The files were still bundled in Platinum’s arms, but admittedly they were useless without Pearl. Once again, it was all up to him, so all the two of them could do was wait, hope, and pray that his determination would be enough. As if on cue, he ran out behind them, a few more wounds to add to his growing collection and a few more tears in his already tattered outfit. He seemed out of breath, regretful, and suspiciously, miraculously, alive-- in his own special, undead kind of way. 

“Locked her in a closet,” he explained. “Can’t open it from the inside.”

He straightened his back and stuck out his non-bloody hand, giving them a familiar smile that they hadn’t seen in such a long time. Unable to stop himself from repeating the familiar motion, Diamond put his hand on Pearl’s, only to find Platinum doing the same. 

They were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. One of them was a blood covered zombie. Nothing was ok anymore and most of their friends and family were missing, dead, or worse. And yet, somehow, they still found themselves in the same position as long ago, giving a small testament to their friendship as they prepared to battle whatever lay ahead. Circumstances were bad, but even in the zombie apocalypse, nothing had changed between them. They had patience, they had hope, and most importantly, they had each other. 

That was all they needed.


End file.
